Font size? - Front Panel Express software

Hey guys!

Just a quick one. I have finished some panel designs and am about to submit them for manufacture but am concerned about the font size.

I have some text that is 1.8mm high using an 0.2mm engraving bit. It sounds tiny just reading those numbers!

What size font do you usually run with for 500 series panels?

Sammas said:

I have some text that is 1.8mm high using an 0.2mm engraving bit. It sounds tiny just reading those numbers!

Click to expand...

this is fine. for my OV560 prototyp I used between 1.75mm and 2mm, looks fantastic:

[silent:arts] said:

Sammas said:

I have some text that is 1.8mm high using an 0.2mm engraving bit. It sounds tiny just reading those numbers!

Click to expand...

this is fine. for my OV560 prototyp I used between 1.75mm and 2mm, looks fantastic:

Click to expand...

That does look great!

Is it done with the 0.2mm engraver as well?

I suspect the most important thing for readability it ensuring that text colour contrasts the front panel colour.

Yes, 0.2mm engraver, without color (not really necessary to fill in white in a black pannel).

I think the appearance at a given size depends a lot on the font you choose. Some are definitely fatter than others.

Cheers

Ian

In FrontDesign you can use whatever size you want as long as it is legible when printed out onto paper (1:1 scale).

You will notice that some fonts just don't work in the larger sizes, you can mess around with the X-scale and the height to get the look you're going for. I have never used the standard fonts with FrontDesign because I think they suck (having said that Holger and [silent:arts] have made beautiful panels with these fonts, it depends on the feel you're going for).

The "DIN" fonts as well as "Stencil" are just about the only professional looking fonts in there.

That's just my opinion though

Braeden

braeden said:

In FrontDesign you can use whatever size you want as long as it is legible when printed out onto paper (1:1 scale).

You will notice that some fonts just don't work in the larger sizes, you can mess around with the X-scale and the height to get the look you're going for. I have never used the standard fonts with FrontDesign because I think they suck (having said that Holger and [silent:arts] have made beautiful panels with these fonts, it depends on the feel you're going for).

Click to expand...

So can you use other fonts within FPE or do you have to use them externally and import HPGL?

Cheers

Ian

I am pretty sure FrontDesign uses a font format typically known to be used in CAD programs.

My understanding is that they use these types of fonts because the engraver cannot follow standard Windows/Mac fonts (TrueType/OpenType fonts).

Long story short, yes, you can use other fonts. At the end of the day the engraver will follow whatever 'path' you draw.

If you open up Adobe Illustrator for example and create a path with the pen tool (e.g. a squiggly line or the outline of a circle), and then subsequently convert that line path to a HPGL format and import it into FrontDesign. The engraver tool will follow the path of the line drawn and the width of the engraving tool will be reflected as an additional width to the line. This means that the line that you have drawn, although it may appear to be 1mm thick in Illustrator - If you choose the Cutter 6.0mm engraving tool for example, it will create a 6.0mm 'version' of the 1mm line you have drawn.

I guess you can also start to see how external fonts can be created. If you choose to use an external font, you will have to convert it to an outline (e.g. the font has no fill and an outline of the font can only be seen). In Illustrator this is done by going to "Type -> Create Outlines" I believe.

To replicate the fill, the outline of the font is duplicated inward until the font is completely filled with lines (this means the engraver will follow each line path until it reaches the center).

Hopefully I didn't confuse anyone,
Braeden

Sammas said:

Hey guys!

Just a quick one. I have finished some panel designs and am about to submit them for manufacture but am concerned about the font size.

I have some text that is 1.8mm high using an 0.2mm engraving bit. It sounds tiny just reading those numbers!

What size font do you usually run with for 500 series panels?

Click to expand...

Isn't it worth just printing out your work so you can see it 'in real life' before submitting it for engraving?

rob_gould said:

Isn't it worth just printing out your work so you can see it 'in real life' before submitting it for engraving?

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Definitely. I do it all the time then lay the knobs I want to use on top of it to see how it looks.I have even stuck them onto cardboard and laid them on the metalwork to see what it will look like overall.

Cheers

Ian

rob_gould said:

Sammas said:

Hey guys!

Just a quick one. I have finished some panel designs and am about to submit them for manufacture but am concerned about the font size.

I have some text that is 1.8mm high using an 0.2mm engraving bit. It sounds tiny just reading those numbers!

What size font do you usually run with for 500 series panels?

Click to expand...

Isn't it worth just printing out your work so you can see it 'in real life' before submitting it for engraving?

Click to expand...

I have done that, but I don't want to base my entire judgment on ink on paper as CNC'ing is 3-dimensional. Printing on paper is only 2-dimensional. The size of the lettering with a 0.2mm engraving bit isn't based on just the size of the engraving bit used, but the depth of the cut itself.

Hence the question. Its worth printing out, and double checking peoples past experiences.